There weren't many food hygiene standards checks undertaken during 2020. That wasn't surprising, as the department responsible was also at the forefront of the county council's coronavirus response. It's resulted in something of a backlog, with 23 premises in the greater Rhuthun/Ruthin area alone awaiting an inspection.
But, this month, we now have a couple of new results. October 15th saw Leonardo's, Well Street, handed a 1/5. This required 'major improvement' in the management of food safety. Then, on 27th, yesterday, Ruthin Kebab & Burger House, also on Well Street, was handed the exact same thing.
Meanwhile, by November 2011, the Ruthin Kebab & Burger House had scored 5/5 and remained so till 2017, when it plummeted to 1/5. The 2021 inspection sees no improvement at all.
It's worth taking a look at the W & G Jones businesses, also Well Street. It's butcher began in 2011 at 3/5. By September 2012, it had risen to 4/5 but by 2014 has slipped to 2/5, one rank below where it started. It then pulled back by 3/5 in 2017 and 4/5 by 2018 before the latest inspection, immediately before lockdown, in March 2020, when it scored 0/5 (zero). We do not know whether the butcher has implemented the required 'major improvements' to food handling and the 'urgent improvements' to the management of food safety, for the business has not subsequently been inspected and, as of today, continues to show 0/5. The system thinks it's zero-rated. We trust that there are improvements.
Meanwhile, the café business scored 5/5 in October 2011 and maintained that standard, till its last inspection in December 2019. That's now two years old so is a little stale, but that's what the system declares: a significant drop to 2/5.
It was one of nine businesses having dropped since 2018. One is the Ruthin Tandoori, which started out as 5/5. It was 3/5 by 2015 and fell to 0/5 in 2017. Following the associated scandal, it improved to 4/5 by 2018 but is now back to 3/5.
Leonardo's has had a very mixed history. At the instigation of the standard, in 2011, Leonardo's scored 2/5. It raised its game to 3/5, by September 2014. It scored top marks (5/5) in July 2017 before collapsing to lower than its initial ranking, in December 2018. Its latest inspection sees no improvement whatsoever, remaining at 1/5.
But, there's worse.
Caffi Rh/Café R at the Craft Centre was also in the news for the wrong reasons, in 2018, and after closure and refurbishment is now awaiting an inspection.
The Fox and Hounds, Pwllglas, has gone the other way. 10 years ago, it was 4/5 before by 2017 moving to 3/5 and then by 2018 sinking to 1/5. It's become a major improver, back to 4/5. A such, it is the area's highest achiever.
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Food hygiene